Membership grows at CMF

Vickers, is the latest foundry group to join the Cast Metals Federation. The company has its origins in the UK’s steel industry, and Paralloy & Firth Vickers (comprising FVC & FVE) manufacture centrifugally cast, as well as static cast, products and solutions in a wide range of alloys, including high nickel alloys, for the petrochemical, industrial gas turbine and aerospace sectors.

Robert McGowan, CEO for the group company Paralloy Ltd said: “Our group supplies the highly engineered components for sectors where exceptional quality and reliability are demanded, and we take pride in serving some of the words most challenging industries from power generation and transportation to manufacturing and critical chemical industries. We are pleased to be part of the Federation at a time when there is a growing recognition of the importance of manufacturing to the UK economy and look forward to playing an active role though our membership.”

CMF CEO Pam Murrell commented: “It is really important that we work together as a sector in the UK – there are some clear challenges for UK manufacturing, but also some great opportunities as we look to re-power the UK economy. Our sector has a role to play in providing the engineering solutions for the UK and also contributing to net zero, to the circular economy for metals and to levelling up. It is fantastic to have companies like Paralloy Ltd joining with us at this time.”

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More than 650 school children between the ages of 11 and 14, attended North Star 2022 in November and had a go at casting as part of the Science Summer School Programme.

United Cast Bar Group were one of the main sponsors and hosted an activity zone featuring sand casting and additive manufacturing, and supported by staff from Weir Minerals and using several ‘Foundry in a Box’ kits from the Cast Metals Federation, CMF.

During the day, which was organised by The Work-wise Foundation, hundreds of the children were able to have a go at moulding and then casting a star in a low melting point tin alloy which they could then take home with them. The activities were led by UCB’s own apprentices and graduate metallurgists who were able to discuss the role of the casting and foundry industry in making engineered components for all sectors of the UK economy, using recycled metal as the raw material.

The team from Weir Minerals also featured in the programme of talks in the main theatre with foundry patternmaker CharlieAmber Tattersall and machinist Rosie McQuillan both speaking about their careers and the opportunities being offered to them in manufacturing by Weir Minerals.

Leonie Greenwood, HR Coordinator for Weir Minerals Europe Limited, said, “It was great for some of our young team to be able to share their passion